Expanding impact through a commitment to caring

Students in the Chick-fil-A storefront in the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett

By: John Hancock, President and CEO, Junior Achievement of Georgia

After the most trying year and a half in recent history, we’ve all taken a look at what matters most to us. For some, that has meant spending more time with loved ones. For others, it may have meant changing careers to something they are more passionate about.

For us at Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia, and for many of our community partners like Chick-fil-A, it reinforced the importance of caring for people and continuing to strengthen our community partnerships. Everything we do at JA of Georgia is a joint partnership between our organization, school systems and local business partners.

Over the past 18 months, we have seen exceptional commitment and engagement from many of our partners. During a time when our education system experienced more challenges than ever, our partners rallied in support of the young people we serve to make the most of difficult circumstances. Delivering on our mission meant providing extra care to all who are impacted by our programs, even if that meant execution of that delivery looked different.

In recent months and throughout more than a decade, JA of Georgia has benefitted from the model of care demonstrated through our outstanding partnership with Atlanta-based company Chick-fil-A, Inc. Chick-fil-A was the catalyst that helped establish our first JA Discovery Center nearly a decade ago, and the company’s engagement, guidance and commitment since then has further fueled much of our impact and growth.

Rodney Bullard, the vice president of corporate social responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc., recently shared with me:

“At Chick-fil-A, we are committed to positively influencing the communities we serve. Our long-standing partnership with Junior Achievement reflects our appreciation for the remarkable work of this organization throughout the country, and we’re inspired by the potential collective impact we can have as together we continue to prepare young people to succeed in the future.”

Words of support and encouragement like this from valued partners like Chick-fil-A continually energize us to go above and beyond in our work. A perfect example is when life as we knew it came to a halt in early 2020, and we knew we had to provide new resources to our educators and students. We understood they were navigating an unprecedented learning environment, and we did anything but sit on the sidelines. We approached our work with a renewed sense of commitment and care, providing high-quality connections and experiences during a time when people needed them more than ever before. We converted our flagship programs to allow students to experience them virtually. Chick-fil-A associates participated online with our middle school and high school students by delivering financial literacy lessons, implementing business case challenges and offering small group career coaching sessions.

Throughout the rest of 2020, we maintained momentum towards our long-term strategic initiatives. In February 2021, we broke ground on the JA Colonial Group Discovery Center in Savannah, set to open in early 2022. Shortly thereafter in March, we opened the JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton. In both cases, Chick-fil-A and a cohort of local Chick-fil-A Restaurant Operators played a large role in bringing our vision to life.  

We also opened three more 3DE by Junior Achievement high schools in the past year, bringing our total portfolio to 13 schools in Georgia and 28 schools nationally. Our goal with the 3DE instructional model is to make the high school experience more relevant, experiential and authentically connected to the real world. One of Chick-fil-A’s core values is to pursue what’s next, and they have been a major partner and investor in the creation of this innovative model, and our ability to continue to expand to more locations. In fact, the company was involved in all facets of this ongoing momentum with these primary strategic initiatives – funding, thought leadership, employee engagement and volunteerism.

Chick-fil-A’s involvement in and support of JA of Georgia epitomizes the very best of corporate philanthropy. The company’s comprehensive approach to caring for communities through public service creates significant impact in communities across the country and the world, and JA of Georgia is just one beneficiary of that commitment.

As we reflect on the past year and a half, we are thankful for all we’ve learned and the support we’ve been able to provide our communities. We are immensely grateful for our partners, who are committed to helping us provide high-quality connections that create positive and future-oriented mindsets in our students.

Truly, we are only able to do this work as a result of these partnerships with educators and companies like Chick-fil-A, who continually motivate us to do more. We look forward to what’s to come as we continue to expand our reach and impact our communities in meaningful ways together.

Hawks and Chase Partner With Junior Achievement to Launch “Power Forward: How to Advance Your Career and Finances” Program for Metro Atlanta High School and College Students

Program to Provide More Than 1,000 Students With Invaluable Hands-On Financial Literacy Learning Experience

ATLANTA – This week the Atlanta Hawks and Chase, the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co, and the official bank partner of the Hawks, launched the multi-pronged “Power Forward: How to Advance Your Career and Finances” program in partnership with Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA). This initiative, aimed towards high school and college students, will consist of three separate curriculums for three different target groups in metro Atlanta. The overall program is designed to educate students in the areas of financial health and literacy, the basics of business finance, and to build their knowledge around the financial services industry.

 “The Hawks are excited to partner with Chase and Junior Achievement to launch a program for high school and college students that focuses on two very important topics: financial health and critical thinking. The information that will be provided is priceless, this collaboration will help to propel program participants forward and prepare them for a bright future,” said Andrea Carter, Hawks Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility. “It is important to us that we leverage our partnerships to impact the community around us in a positive way. Working with both Chase and Junior Achievement to bring a much-needed curriculum to the classroom will hopefully inspire students to take their financial journeys seriously.”

 The first program, which was introduced this week and will last until July, is a Professional Development Webinar Series, geared towards first year college students with previous learning experience from JA led programs. The customized curriculum will feature financial literacy workshops hosted by Chase and the “Peek Behind the Curtain” series where Hawks and Chase team members will speak extensively about what they look for in potential candidates for job opportunities at their respective organizations.

 “It is incredibly important that our leaders of tomorrow are prepared today to achieve their own personal financial health and goals, and feel confident to pursue careers in the financial services industry as well,” said Mark Adams, Chase’s Georgia and North Florida market director for Consumer Banking. “Through Junior Achievement and the Atlanta Hawks, Chase is excited to work directly with students in metro Atlanta to help them navigate their personal and professional financial journeys.”

 The second program will begin in the fall and be conducted in-school with a curriculum focused on consultancy. Seniors from Banneker, Northview, Osborne, Norcross, and Parkview High Schools will be presented with a real-world business challenge and divided into small groups to work as a project consulting team for the with the support of both Hawks and Chase employee volunteers. This project will span nine weeks. The third program is an in-school extended case study, beginning in the Spring of 2022. The curriculum will be built around the core competency of critical and analytical thinking. More than 500 juniors from South Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr., McNair, Savannah, and Parkview High Schools will be challenged with an engaging and relevant business case study that will enhance learning, refine students’ higher-order skills, and provide opportunities for students to create connections to the Hawks and Chase brands by learning from their employees throughout the process. This project will span six weeks.

 Junior Achievement of Georgia is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make educated academic and economic choices. The organization offers multiple programs, including in-class programs, JA BizTown, JA Finance Park and 3DE by Junior Achievement, all of which focus on entrepreneurship, personal financial literacy and workforce readiness. JA of Georgia serves 175,000 students statewide in an average year.

 “We are thrilled to be launching our partnership with the Atlanta Hawks and Chase, and are looking forward to the exposure and opportunities it will provide for our 3DE students,” said John Hancock, Junior Achievement of Georgia President and CEO. “Giving high school students a chance to interact with professionals from both of these companies will help them to further expand their future goals and hone in on what it will take to achieve those goals.”

 In 2020, the Atlanta Hawks and Chase announced an integrated multi-year partnership with several pillar programs focused on increasing financial health in Atlanta’s communities, and creating economic opportunity for local residents. This partnership has since produced two “Chase Chats”, a series of small group sessions focused on financial health through impactful conversations, that have featured guests like NBA Legend and Hawks co-owner Grant Hill and Atlanta Hawks icon, Dominique Wilkins.

 Visit Hawks.com/community to learn more about Atlanta Hawks community efforts.

Defining Moments

Sometimes the most normal of days turn out to be ones that you’ll never forget.

When I started writing this post, it was from an organizational perspective, not a personal one. But the further I got, the more I realized that this story has become a defining moment for my professional life, and it made more sense for me to share it from my point of view.

I’ve been working with 3DE students at Banneker High School since we began in 2014. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the students – what motivates them, what makes them tick and the ever-changing status of what’s ‘cool’.

At 3DE schools, we’re creating environments where students are a part of something bigger than themselves. Not only do they feel supported by their peers and teachers, but they begin to build the skills and confidence to know that their dreams are actually within reach.

It all begins with engagement. Creating an engaging learning environment where students flourish goes beyond just providing hands-on experiences; it means developing a culture in which students are academically, emotionally and socially supported, and it goes far beyond their scores on the latest assignment. It means working to ensure that their education covers every dimension of their lives.

This defining moment came to light during a national photoshoot with Arby’s. I was excited that 3DE, JA and myself, were going to be a part of something and a brand as iconic and salient as Arby’s. Of course, it’s not about our organizations or us. It’s about the power of our mission to transform education and lives, and in this instance that story would unfold through Courteciya, a rising senior at Banneker High School whose smile and determination are contagious.

I was excited to experience this alongside Courteciya. To see her excitement as she got to have her makeup and wardrobe done, and pose for the camera, but I didn’t expect the day to become a defining moment in her personal growth, and my own professional life.

It was so much more than a photo shoot for her. It was a day spent amongst professionals –artists, stylists, photographers, national marketing firm consultants. It was fast, orchestrated, busy. To any non-marketing or advertising buff, it was foreign and even intimidating.

When you first meet Courteciya she is a little soft spoken and reserved, but as she got comfortable she put herself out there. She started asking questions – the very first a thoughtful one about the end goal of the shoot and the emotion they were hoping to capture. From there a dialog opened up and suddenly a 16-year-old was an equal in the space among professionals.

The conversation continued - What kind of shot are you looking for? What role does my outfit play in how the photo comes across? How does this all get translated to something that will be in every single Arby’s store?

She owned it and recognized that she was part of something bigger. Her actions reflected that she understood the business of the day and she delivered on meeting every goal and objective – positioning herself to be an integral piece in achieving the now collective end goal.

It was exposure to a world that Courteciya had never seen, in a setting that she likely would’ve never experienced without 3DE. For the day, she wasn’t just a student – she was a model. A model in front of the camera, but more importantly for others.

When I started reflecting back on the day I realized that her engagement and maturity were no accident – she had been unknowingly preparing for this moment for the three years prior. Every site visit that tested her nerves before presenting to a panel of professionals, every case challenge that she was forced to work with people outside of her comfort zone, every lesson that challenged her to look beyond the face value and to analyze a situation, to ask the right questions to get to the desired point. All of these moments, combined with the overall culture of persistence and community that had formed at 3DE at Banneker High School, had made her ready.

By the end of the day, Courteciya wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I watched her transition from a nervous teen to joking and conversing with professionals she’d shared the day with. Everyone was impressed – to watch a high school student carry herself with such poise, and to be engaged in something that was larger than herself – how could you not be inspired?

It’s been months since that day and Courteciya is still in regular contact with the adults she met that day. Is she going to become a creative director, marketing manager or national photographer? Probably not -- she wants to be a vet.  What I do know though, is that she can hold her own in unfamiliar situations and thinks beyond the world she knew when she entered 3DE at Banneker High School just four years ago.

These are the kinds of moments that begin to define a student’s trajectory.

What was just another day at work for a handful of professionals ended up being a defining moment for a student, and one of the first times I internalized the full impact and opportunity that 3DE represents for students. That’s the difference between a conventional high school experience and 3DE. That kind of impact is what we mean by education for every dimension of life.

Sarah Lippert is on the Marketing Team at JA of Georgia.